RANCHO CUCAMONGA >> Nine-year-old Azaliah Oduwole is quite the world traveler, and she’s taken advantage of being able to meet several international leaders.

The Rancho Cucamonga fifth-grader attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month. While she was there she met with Portia Simpson Miller, the prime minister of Jamaica, who spoke to the group on the challenges facing young girls.

Miller’s speech was part of the United Nations’ observance of Oct. 11 as being the day of the Girl Child. She then traveled to Tanzania by invitation to meet that country’s president, Dar Es Salaam.

“ I am very thrilled as a volunteer for a small charity event in the Pacific Islands, to share this amazing story about Azaliah Oduwole, who has taken the issue of the Girl Child, very seriously, and to new heights,’’ said Ellen Racketien. “Her parents had always told her about the challenges facing the Girl Child around the world, and she and her siblings have made it a point to watch the BBC News most days, to find out more about the challenges of this socio-economic segment.”

Racketien said she first met Azaliah three years ago in Fiji, where she was part of the young volunteers for a girls’ poverty charity sports event called the Fiji Tennis Invitation project. Racketien is involved with the organization called AOAO Sports, which organizes it annually.

“The goal is to the girls interested in sports as a non-traditional way out of poverty,’’ she said. “It is a very, very poor country despite its great tourism destination.”

She said she wanted to promote Azaliah and her work because she finds the girl amazing.

“She is simply gifted. She just starts walking – by that I mean she believes in something and just goes ahead with it. One time we were in Fiji addressing the kids and she was not scheduled to talk. She just asked for the microphone and began to address them and when she was done, there was applause around the room. We just stared in amazement,’’ Racketien said. “She is very bold and brace and also mission-driven even thought she turned 9 in August.”

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Azaliah has no intention of stopping her interaction with world leaders. “I am very excited to see new cultures and new people,’’ said the young girl, who is homeschooled. “People are so nice to me. I like meeting people and I enjoy the idea of inspiring the girl child and to show parents the importance of caring for them.”

Who would she like to meet next?

“I would love to go to the White House and meet the president of the United States,’’ she said without hesitation. “I would like to interview him about the job because my sister (11-year-old Zuriel Elise) wants to be president one day and I want to be her vice president.”

Her parents are proud of her and her three siblings.

“My wife (Patricia) and I are privileged to be parents. It is an honor and helping to educate your children is an even bigger honor,’’ said Ademola Oduwole, Azaliah’s father. “Educating our children is an investment in our future and our country’s future. We are thankful to God for our four children.”

Oduwole credits his wife with their children’s enthusiasm and outgoing personalities.

“My wife is a giver. She has always told the children it’s all about giving. Don’t say you haven’t anything to give. At the very least, you have your time,’’ said Oduwole, who is a teacher and who has traveled with his family to several countries.

Azaliah’s interest in the world and its politics started in Fiji. She started collecting pennies to help young girls in poverty. And that interest hasn’t waned. Earlier this year, she and her family attended a meeting of the African Union in commemoration of its 50th anniversary. Individuals born in Africa or who have African ancestry were invited.

“The purpose of that event was to showcase young kids from the African continent, and those who have African ancestry, but are doing amazing things, as a means of inspiring kids all over to want to do more. My parents are from Nigeria originally,’’ the father said.

Azaliah was able to sit at a front table along with adults to watch the proceedings. When organizers opened up the meeting for questions, the young girl didn’t hesitate.

Oduwole said before he knew it, his daughter asked for the microphone and she was given it. He said he didn’t know what to expect, but Azaliah simply asked an open-ended question to the panel, which consisted of the presidents of Liberia, Kenya, Zambia, Ethiopia, Botswana and of the African Union. The one who answered was Kenneth Kaunda, the last living post-independent African leader, and former president of Zambia. She asked, what it was like to be president and was it tough? The room erupted in applause. Kaunda answered, through an interpreter, yes, it was very tough but interesting.

“I think she connects with these leaders because she talks from a child’s innocent perspective,’’ her father said.